Neck-yoke.



J. 0. JOHNSTON.

NECK YOKE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE-5, 19\6A mwmsg, Patented Sept. 11, 191?.

INVENTOR JAMES O. JOHNSTON, 0F GEM, IDAHO.

NECK-JOKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. it, 191?.

Application filed June 5, 1916. Serial No. 101,867:

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES O. JOHNSTON, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of the town of Gem, in the county of Shoshone in the State of Idaho, United States of America, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Neck-Yokes, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in neck yokes and the objects of the invention are to simplify harnessing, to prevent displacement of the martingale, to so protect the end of the pole co-acting with the neck yoke that the reins will not foul therewith, to permit of the attachment between the neck yoke and the pole being readily adjusted to suit the diameter of the pole being used and generally to adapt the several parts to better perform the functions required of them.

WVith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists essentially of the improved construction particularly described and set forth in the following specification and accompanying drawings forming part of the same.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved neck yoke when mounted on a wagon pole.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the neck yoke showing the means for securing the pole guard in position.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the pole guard as seen when not in use.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of one of the ferrules. V

Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the same.

Like characters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

Referring to the drawings, (t represents a neckyoke provided on the ends with metallic or the like ferrules 70, each provided on the outer wall and at the front thereof with a-pair of ofiset guards 72. adapted to embrace the martingale g, the said ferrules being further provided on the upper face with the staple attachment 2', to which a breast strap ring is operatively attached the staple and guards being preferably formed integral with the ferrules.

The neck yoke a is operatively connected to the pole b by the chain 0, the ends of which are attached to the U-shaped bolt d, which passes through the neck yoke a and is secured thereto by nuts. The use of this chain permits of the neck yoke being readily utilized with poles of varying diameters.

Since one of the drawbacks of the neck yokes at present inuse is, that the reins are extremely liable to foul or become entangled with the point of the pole b, I preferably provide a guard member 6, formed of resilient material and adapted to project in front of the neck yoke a and overhang the front of the pole so preventing the reins from engaging therewith.

The means which I utilize for securing the guard c in position are quite unique and consist of a pair of bolts 7", equidistantly spaced on opposite sides of the pole Z), and passing through the neck yoke a, to which they are secured by nuts, the head of the bolts being formed with curvilinear offset portions m, provided with a plurality of recesses n in the inner edge, designed to frictionally embrace the guard e.

The guard e is formed of a strip of resilient material and provided with a head a, the under face of which is grooved to conform to the curvature of the neck yoke a.

In assembling the neck yoke, the ferrules 7c are placed on the ends thereof and the U bolts (Z carrying the chain 0 passed through the center of the neck yoke a and secured in osition by its co-acting nuts.

he guard securing means f are now located in position and the ends of the resilient strip 6 are engaged with the recesses 11, on the curvilinear portion of the said bolts, whereupon the guard will assume a curvilinear formation as shown in Fig. 1.

By reference to the drawings, it will be seen that when the device is in use the martingale 9 cannot slip laterally over the ends of the ferrules it nor can they inadvertently become displaced in any other manner.

From this description, it will be seen that I have invented a neck yoke which can be advantageously utilized by contractors, farmers, or the like, facilitating quick harnessing and obviating any liability of displacement of the martingales, while at the same time there is no possibility of the reins becoming entangled with the pole of the wagon, the several parts being of the simplest construction and not liable to go out of repair.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of my invention, Within the scope of the claims, constructed Without departing from the spirit or scope thereof, it is intended that all mat- .ter contained in the accompanying specificatlon and drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. What I cla1m as my invention is:

1. The combination With a neck yoke, ofv

2,. The combination Witha neck yoke, of a rein guard comprising a pair of curvilinear members, each havin a recess in the inner face thereof, means tor securing the memhere to the neck yoke, and a guard member designed to engage the recess and overhang the front of a Wagon pole.

In testimony that I claim that the foregoing is my own I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses. 1

V JAMES-O JOHNSTON.

Witnesses:

AILEEN ORoURKE,

PAUL BRAUNE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of latents, Washington, I). G. 

